COUNCIL chiefs have welcomed the progress to address the shocking statistics in a national report which placed the district 310th out of 324 local authorites for social mobility in the UK.
A county-wide summit was held to address the problems raised by the Social Mobility Commission report and comes just months after council chiefs pledged a further £30,000 to tackle the problems raised in the report.
Representatives from councils, agencies and schools came together on Wednesday to discuss and come up with ideas to tackle Wychavon’s social mobility problem.
The summit was held in response to the district’s poor social mobility standing which is at odds with its Halifax Quality of Life Survey result as the third best place to live in 2018.
Its aim was to start to get a better understanding of the issues and examined what could be done from early years through to young adulthood to help children from disadvantaged backgrounds to ensure they get the best start in life.
The partners together event was themed around improving early years provision and how everyone can work together to give children the best start in life.
Coun Linda Robinson, leader of Wychavon District Council, said “This was a fantastic event that got a huge number of different providers and professionals together. Some of the ideas and discussion topics will help inform our action plan that will be going to council in a few months time.”
Attendees heard about the importance of a good start in life, the local context on social mobility, what stops children achieving and practical solutions to breaking down barriers.
Among the speakers were Babcock Prime, Action for Children, local schools and Wychavon council chiefs themselves.
Gill Deakin, Learning and Teaching Advisor for Babcock Prime said “Children are incredible and capable of so much. Ensuring parents are geared up to provide the right nurturing environment is absolutely essential to ensure they achieve their potential.
“But it’s not rocket science – it can be as simple as positive chatter and reading. We were very pleased to attend and share our knowledge on this topic.”
Partners Together events are sponsored by Wychavon’s Localism and Communities Advisory Panel. Events bring together public, private and voluntary sector organisations to explore and action a new topic every quarter.
